ECOWAS army chiefs to meet in Ghana amid Niger intervention plans

Army chiefs from across the West African economic and political bloc, ECOWAS, are scheduled to meet in Accra later this week.

According to a BBC report, the meeting is reportedly to discuss a possible intervention in Niger, where a junta held a coup last month.

Their last meeting was in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, two weeks ago before an extraordinary meeting by Heads of State where there was emphasis on diplomatic solutions with the junta even though the military option was to be on the table.

The subsequent meeting by the army chiefs had previously been postponed for technical reasons.

There has been a massive opposition to military intervention in Niger both in especially northern Nigeria and in Ghana’s political space.

Over the weekend there was hope for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Niger, following a meeting between the head of the junta, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, and a group of influential Islamic clerics from Nigeria, the BBC report added.

The junta earlier this week noted that they will charge democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum of treason stating that they have enough evidence to prosecute him.

The move has been condemned by ECOWAS and the UN.

The head of neighbouring Mali’s interim military government says he has spoken to President Vladimir Putin over the phone about the crisis in Niger, and that Mr Putin underlined the importance of a peaceful resolution to the situation in Niger to ensure a more stable Sahel.